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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. club — a group
  6. rule — a law
  7. staff — a stick
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. kid — child
  16. ball — a great time
  17. rule — government
  18. club — for dancing
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. kick — in football
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. club — for golf
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com